1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to battery powered, electrically motored, four wheel personnel carriers designed for off-road use in rough terrain. With more particularity, the invention relates to a vehicle in which may be selectively operated in “four wheel drive” (all four wheels are driven), “front wheel drive” (the front two wheels are driven) or “rear wheel drive” (the rear two wheels are driven). The vehicle of the invention is equipped with two independently operable electric motors, one of which powers the front wheels and one of which powers the front wheels. Constant velocity (“CV”) joint is used on the front wheels to make them steerable.
2. Description of Related Art
There are millions of motorized vehicles, of various shapes, forms, purposes and designs. Some of said designs relate to four wheel drive all terrain vehicles. Most are driven by single internal combustion engine. Some may be selectively operated with all four wheels driven, or only the two rear wheels driven. None are known which may be selectively operated with all four wheels driven, with only the rear wheels driven, or with only the front wheels driven.
As to off the road vehicles, driven by single electric motor, powered by a battery, such as rear wheel driven golf carts, are known. None of these type of vehicles are known to have four-wheel drive capability. None of these types of vehicles are known to employ dual, independently operable, selectively disengagable, electric motors, one for driving the front wheels, the other for driving the rear wheels, thereby the vehicle may be operated as a four-wheel drive vehicle, a front-wheel drive vehicle, a rear wheel drive vehicle, with all four wheels disengaged, or even with front and rear wheels rotating in opposite directions.
The invention disclosed and claimed herein is equipped with dual, independently operable electric motors. One is for driving the front wheels of the vehicle, the other for driving the rear wheels. Therefore the vehicle disclosed and claimed herein may be selectively operated as a four-wheel drive vehicle, a front wheel drive vehicle, or a rear wheel drive vehicle. The vehicle could even be operated with the front wheels driving in one direction, the rear wheels driving in the opposite direction, which does have some utility, such as making the vehicle track sidewards when on an transversely inclined slope. When operated in the two-wheel drive mode (either front-wheel drive or rear wheel drive) the non-driven motor may be mechanically disconnected from the wheels, thereby eliminate drag of the non-driven motor as an energy saving mean.